Natasha Lomas
Senior Reporter
The Latest from Natasha Lomas
Apple will now let users in the EU download apps through web sites, not just the App Store
Apple is opening up web distribution for iOS apps targeting users in the European Union starting Tuesday. Developers who opt in — and who meet Apple’s criteria, including app notarization requ
Big Tech’s ad transparency tools are still woeful, Mozilla research report finds
"We feel there are major gaps between the spirit of the EU regulation and these repositories in practice," the report authors write.
Meta’s ‘consent or pay’ tactic must not prevail over privacy, EU rights groups warn
Nearly two dozen rights groups are urging the EDPB to not endorse a strategy used by Meta that they say is intended to bypass the EU's privacy protections.
UK’s antitrust enforcer sounds the alarm over Big Tech’s grip on GenAI
The UK's competition watchdog, the CMA, has sounded a warning over Big Tech's grip on the advanced AI market, with CEO Sarah Cardell expressing "real concerns" over how the sector is developing.
Meta will auto-blur nudity in Instagram DMs in latest teen safety step
Meta said on Thursday that it is testing new features on Instagram intended to help safeguard young people from unwanted nudity or sextortion scams. This includes a feature called “Nudity Protec
Elon Musk accused of profiting from tragedy as study finds X rewards hate targeting Israel-Gaza war
After defeating Musk's attempt to silence it in court, anti-hate research org Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) is back with new research on X.
Alternative browsers report uplift after EU’s DMA choice screen mandate
A flagship European Union digital market regulation appears to be shaking up competition in the mobile browser market. It’s been a little over a month since the Digital Markets Act (DMA) came in
Proton picks up Standard Notes to deepen its pro-privacy portfolio
By adding Standard Notes to its portfolio of apps, Proton will deepen its reach with an engaged community of pro-privacy users.
As AI accelerates, Europe’s flagship privacy principles are under attack, warns EDPS
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has warned key planks of the bloc’s data protection and privacy regime are under attack from industry lobbyists and could face a critical reception
Neurotech startup Neurovalens gets FDA clearance for noninvasive anxiety treatment
A 2019 rule change by the U.S. medical devices regulator aimed at encouraging innovations targeting insomnia and anxiety is bearing fruit: Neurovalens, a Belfast-based startup that for over a decade h
Meta’s new AI deepfake playbook: More labels, fewer takedowns
Meta has announced changes to its rules on AI-generated content and manipulated media following criticism from its Oversight Board. Starting next month, the company said, it will label a wider range o
US and EU commit to links aimed at boosting AI safety and risk research
The European Union and United States put out a joint statement Friday affirming a desire to increase cooperation over artificial intelligence. The agreement covers AI safety and governance, but also,
EU and US set to announce joint working on AI safety, standards & R&D
The European Union and the U.S. expect to announce a cooperation on AI at a meeting of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC) on Friday, according to a senior commission official who was brief
Your cut-out-and-keep guide to Big Tech talking points in a new age of antitrust
With tech giants facing new laws and enforcements aimed at cutting their empires down to size, a lobbying frenzy replete with wildly binary claims is underway. As the likes of Amazon, Apple, Google, M
Uber Eats courier’s fight against AI bias shows justice under UK law is hard won
On Tuesday, the BBC reported that Uber Eats courier Pa Edrissa Manjang, who is Black, had received a payout from Uber after “racially discriminatory” facial recognition checks prevented hi
Amazon will have to publish an ads library in EU after all
Amazon will have to provide information about the ads running on its platform in a publicly accessible online archive after all, following a decision by the European Union’s highest court Wednes
Amazon fined in Poland for dark pattern design tricks
Amazon has been fined in Poland for misleading consumers about the conclusion of sales contracts on its online marketplace. The sanction, of close to $8 million (or in local currency: PLN 31,850,141),
EU publishes election security guidance for social media giants and others in scope of DSA
The European Union published draft election security guidelines Tuesday aimed at the around two dozen (larger) platforms with more than 45 million+ regional monthly active users who are regulated unde
Worldcoin hit with another ban order in Europe citing risks to kids
Controversial crypto biometrics venture Worldcoin has been almost entirely booted out of Europe after being hit with another temporary ban — this time in Portugal. The order from the countryR
Metyos is building a biowearable to monitor chronic kidney disease
Alexandre Boulanger is better known for building self-balancing exoskeletons at Wandercraft. For his next trick, the Paris-based robotics entrepreneur is fronting work on a far lighter kind of wearabl